Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-12-27
PROGRESS in COOKERY.
Il the Food OF To-Day Better Than This
of Fifty Years Ago?


Il the Food OF To-Day Better Than That
of Fifty Years Ago?
This is a question which at first it
seems difficult to answer. The para
phernalia of housekeeping has in
creased tenfold, but we can not say
that the Improvements has been in
ratio to this increase. We are not ten
fold better housekcepers than our
grandmothers The increased work
of the modern house calls for reti-
nue. Of servants where one or two
formerly did the work, or for extra
help in smaller households. where
formerly the work was chiefly done by
the mistress of the house. The vex-
ing question of service is continually
arising, and much of the cooking,
which was formerly done by the mis-
trcss Of the house, is now left to the
unskilled hand of domestic worker,
who is often utterly ignorant OF the
primary laws of the kitchen. Our
larders of to-day are so much better
supplied with good and wholesome
food, our cooking facilities are sc
much greater, our cooking utensils are
so much better, that it must be u poor
cook, indeed, who can not set our
tables with more wholesome and
greater variety Of food.
There has been a great advance in
the last fifty years in the supply OF
fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes were
then practically unknown. They were
called Glove apples" and were grown
for ornamental purposes. SO lirm
rooted was the common belief that they
were poisonous that it is related. the
two culprits who stole some from the
yard Of u justice Of the peace and in
cidentally tasted one, soon found they
were attacked with what they believed
to be the pains of poison, and hastily
came to confess their theft The va
rietcs of sweet corn in use fifty years
ago were little better than field corn.
The culture Of small fruits was I'M
known. There were no Strawberries
but the wild fruit.
The improvement in raising and fat
tening beef. veal, mutton and lamb is
beyond question. The pork fifty years
ago was probably better than it is to-
day, but there has been steady de-
crease in the use of pork as proper
toned to the population Other meats
have taken its place. A minister
wife, who visited n well-to-do par
ishioncr on the Hudson river many
years ago tells of sitting down to a din
ner table on which the sole dish was n
huge platter of boiled pork with APP
pies, which were boiled with the pork
and served on the same platter. 81
did my best to eat it," added the lady,
who had been city bred and used to
comparatively delicate fare, "but
was careful never to be caught ut din
ner-time near that house afterward u
1t would be impossible to find SO coarse
dish as this on any mans table to-
day. The pork would be boiled sep
arately and the apples made into sauce.
Whether the poultry of to-day is bet
ter than formerly is a question in spite
of the many fancy breeds of poultry il
market. Our grandmothers tool
great care in raising their chickens
and capons and paid careful attention
to fricassees and pies of chicken which
modern cooks may well copy.
Canned fruits and vegetables hay,
added immensely to the resources o
the modern cook. There have beer
great improvements in the speed an'
tineuess with which grains are ground
All kinds of meal are now kiln-dried
so that they viii keep sweet in tn
grocer, hands an indefinite time. bu
the kiln-dried meal is not so sweet n
moist meal of old time which had t
be purchased fresh from the mil
Flour made by the patent-roller proc
ess is not quite so sweet. though it
easier 10 make good light bread of
than OF the old-timc -four. We shout
turn back TO some of the simpler way
of our ancestors in cookery. The d,
mands of modern society have drive
the ladies of the household from tn
kitchen, and the preparation of food
left too often in the hands of unit
tored servants. ITO your saucepan,
women of Britainr' exclaimed Susal
nah Carter fifty years ago. The sam
cry goes forth to the women of OF
own land If they would have happ
homes and strong and healthy fam
lies.--M y. Tribune